Unhinged
by VelvetRed
Summary: Pepper has lost it with her Boss. Will Tony finally learn to understand his famous redhed or will he lose his trusted 'his girl friday'
1. Chapter 1

**Unhinged**

_Pepper Potts sat on her white canapé feeling numb and horribly exhausted. How did everything get so out of hand and empty. She wiped away another tear that was making its trajectory down her already flushed cheeks. She despised herself at that very moment, how could she have been so hateful and bitter. She replayed the whole thing in her mind and the mere recollection of what had happened overwhelmed her with a nauseous discomfort in her gut. _

_How could she be so cruel to the man she supposedly was in love with…_

She had been upstairs in her office, the television muted but on some news channel. She asked Jarvis to immediately switch channel to the mere mentioning of Iron Man and with luck that would clue her in on his whereabouts. She sat there staring blankly back and forth towards her laptop and the TV. It had been already four hours since his departure for his latest mission. There was no news, no calls. Absolutely nothing.

Pepper sighed loudly.

"He is well Miss Potts, his vitals appear to be normal, a bit elevated however that is to be expected." The A.I's voice echoed through the empty space of her office which startled the pensive assistant out of her reverie.

"Thank you Jarvis. I just want to see for myself that he's in one piece." Pepper smiled but more to herself then her invisible companion. It felt reassuring to here things like "his vitals are normal, or the usual "after many uttered profanities he appears to be well nevertheless" Pepper smiled to herself again, that yearning to see his face and hear his voice was growing stronger and very impatient. In times like these she could give it all up, cave in and give herself to him completely. However the desperate desire would soon take a backseat when she would see him bloody and battered and her heart was then filled with bitterness and sadness.

She hated to see him in pain, God did she hate it. It made her blood boil and her sight turn black.

"Miss Potts…"

The A.I's voice faded out when Pepper heard the horrible crash and thud on the roof accompanied with the ear shattering screech of metal on concrete. Her heart stopped and she felt suddenly sick.

"Tony!" She shrieked on impulse.

"Oh! Jarvis is he alright?!" She cried as she whipped her open laptop on the couch. "All his vitals are in check, Miss Potts."

Pepper completely paid no attention and darted for the door her heels clicking frantically into the distance. Pepper ran down the hallway and down the steps to Tony's workshop. She ran down the steps so rapidly she cursed the fact that there was so many of them. The minute she was facing the glass door she entered the code quickly and yanked the door open. Pepper's eyes roamed the shop for a sign of the suit. She heard a small tinkering and she shot her head in that direction.

Tony lay there still trapped in the confines of his suit the helmet was off somewhere thrown into a corner of the room. His face bloodied, his eyes shut. Not a very good sign. Pepper walked quickly towards him and kneeled next to him. She didn't know where to touch him or if she even could. The suit was dented in awkward places and bullet holes left there marking in various places across the suit. She suppressed her urge to cry.

"T-Tony!" Her voice was cracked. No answer.

"TONY!" She cried out still unable to touch him out of fear.

"Hmm…." Tony's bloodied face twitched ever so slightly.

"Oh Tony! Are you okay? Are you hurt?" Pepper glazed her hands over his torso still no making any kind of contact in fear of causing him any unnecessary pain.

"I'm great...never felt better." His voice was rough but the sarcasm in it was very clear. "Help me up."

Pepper helped Tony sit up, groaning in pain as he did so, clutching his ribs. "I think I've broken a few ribs."

"Five ribs to be precise, sir." Jarvis added.

Pepper gasped.

"You're not helping anything." Tony snarled, glaring up.

Pepper felt her self cave under the pressure of his weight and the suit as he leaned into her. She managed to get him on his feet but barely. They slowly walked to where his mechanical arms would do there handy work and then it was his faithful assistant's to patch him all up.

It took longer then usual to remove the suit and not without a few shouts and curses emitting from Tony Stark's mouth.

When the suit was finally off the damage was very noticeable. Blood was seeping through in various location of his body onto his clothing. When the mechanical arms released Tony he nearly crashed landed onto Pepper who with great difficulty was able to steady him. They moved to the chair that stood only a few strides. Tony lay himself down his face masked his agony as he clutched his bloody torso. His chest piece thank goodness was unscathed.

"Tony look at yourself…you look positively— "

"…sexy, I know…help me take this damn shirt off. Ouch! Easy! No need to be so hasty to undress me!"

Pepper slowly pulled off the shirt and placed it on a nearby table. She pretended not to hear his usual innuendos. It was best that way she was not in any mood to neither flirt nor joke with him.

"You're a mess." Pepper said, taking a wet cloth and swabbing gently the blood and sweat from his face. "A real mess."

"I know, that's why I have you to clean up my messes." He grinned through his pain.

"That's not funny." Her words were serious but her tone was soft as if she was apologizing to him.

"Oh come on I was only joking." He said a bit more seriously his face more visible. Pepper was started to disinfect his scratches.

"Ow! You take pleasure in torturing me isn't it bad enough I was hit by missiles and machines guns and then to come back to this." Tony joked but his comedic act came to a full halt when he saw the horror overtake Pepper's usually serene features.

"Missiles! Machines guns! Are you that desperate in killing yourself?!" Pepper all but shrieked. Tony thought she had gone a shade whiter. He felt that tiny pain tweaking at his heart again, the same little pain that creped up whenever he worried or hurt her.

"I've told you a million times you don't have to worry about—"

"You're going to end up killing yourself! Look at you" she motioned with her hands his bloody chest. " your bleeding everywhere, I'm even covered in your blood!"

"No worries Pepper I've been tested I'm clean—"

"You think this is all a joke don't you! This isn't normal! I am covered in your blood!! Do you have any idea what that does to me! Every time you leave for your missions I'm terrified you won't come back. I don't care how many times you tell me it's going to be alright it's not going to be alright. As long as you keep doing this and pushing yourself to these extremes I don't think I'm strong enough to take this anymore. Ten years I've been your assistant and this is the first time that I feel like I can't do this anymore. Tony I'm terrified that you're going to leave again…and this time you might not come back…" Pepper buried her face in her hands as she fought her sobs. She felt warmth over her wrist and looked up hesitantly.

Tony had never seen anything so heartbreaking as the image before him, Pepper's face was flustered and tear stained and a streak of his blood was smeared on her perfect creamy skin that he could only imagine to be soft. What was he doing to her, he was tainting her with his antics and his selfishness, just like the old Tony. Just like his blood that looked misplaced on her perfect features. He reached out to wipe away the blood off her face but she turned away. He felt his heart grow heavy.

"Pepper I'm sorry."

"The worst part of this whole thing is you're not that sorry Tony. You never are. You're like a child who thinks everything can be put back together with a lousy "I'm sorry" but this time it's not going to cut it, Tony. It just won't."

Pepper snatched her blackberry from her jacket she pressed a key and held the handset to her ear. Tony stared at her transfixed.

"Hi Rhodey. Yes it's me Pepper. Can you come to the house as quickly as possible. Thank you. I'll explain later."

"Pepper…what are—"

Pepper looked at him square in the face, her whole body shaking unbeknownst to him. Her voice was small when she spoke.

"I called Rhodey to come here and clean up your mess…"

And with that Pepper walked off. Tony was so puzzled by what transpired that he simply watched her walk away her clicking heels disappearing from earshot, he had completely lost his voice to justify himself or simply call her back.

He knew she had every right to feel the way she did, it was only a matter of time that this was going to blow up in his face.

"Sir I believe Miss Potts appears to be extremely vexed with you." The A.I added into the silence.

"You think." Tony growled sarcastically.

Author's Note: Don't flame me lol I'll add some more soon. Lol Just tell me what you think! Don't be shy reviews are always welcomed!

Scarlett


	2. Chapter 2

**Revelation**

"Tony!"

He heard the male voice calling him. Definitely not Pepper. Damn.

"Down here!" He called out.

Rhodey descended the stairs two at a time, stopping at the entrance of the glass doors. He peered through the glass and stood still. After a few seconds of perhaps internal monologue he punched in his code and the glass doors allowed access.

He moved towards Tony who was still lying down on his medical chair.

"Hell man, what did you do to yourself? You look like hell."

Tony groaned as he straightened himself slightly. "I feel like hell too."

"Is Pepper still…"

Rhodey looked overly sympathetic here. "No she left, she's pissed."

"Seems to be the norm around here nowadays." Tony grumbled more to himself then to his companion who eyed him curiously.

"Can you blame her? Look at yourself you look like your knocking on death's door and you think she should be jumping for joy."

"Yeah I would actually not mind the jumping for joy bit."

"Tony." Rhodey stared at his friend a serious expression spreading through his already stern features. "Tony. Seriously."

"What?" Tony asked innocently.

Rhodey crossed his arms over his chest and eyed Tony critically. He couldn't understand how blind his friend was. How completely oblivious Tony Stark was on how much his Personal Assistant of almost a decade was completely and entirely in love with him. He had no clue. None. Poor bastard, Rhodey thought, doesn't know how lucky he is to have a woman like that right underneath his arrogant nose.

"Come on honey lets not fight." Tony joked sarcastically. "I'm bleeding my heart out for you here, literally." The last bit held more of a sober chant to it.

"You know you have no idea what you put her through. Not even a clue, man." Rhodey over and proceeded to help Tony clean up the blood and bandage him up.

"Of course I do, she's all I have, who else would be capable of doing what she does for me on a daily basis."

"You don't get it." Rhodey said curtly, as he bandaged a few cuts on his friend's arm.

Tony lay there baffled for a bit. Did Rhodey have a thing for Pepper? When did he become so protective of her? A pang of jealousy over took him. He was starting to get a bit annoyed of the course of this discussion and where it was heading.

"You have a thing for Pepper?" Tony said trying to make it as casual as he could.

Rhodey clicked immediately, Tony was so transparent sometimes.

"You know what you are?" Rhodey asked, a bemused grin playing on his lips. Tony waited patiently. "An idiot, a first class idiot. If there ever was one."

Tony looked utterly confused. "Are we still talking about Pepper?"

"You know when you went missing and everyone thought you were dead? Yeah well Pepper never believed for a second that you were gone, she refused to believe it. She would call me practically everyday asking about any news about your search and rescue. And everyday I felt my heart breaking for her to see her holding it in so professionally so loyally when I would tell her that there was nothing yet. She kept up her duties never falling back because she didn't want anything to be a mess when you would supposedly come back. Everyday I would see her becoming this shell of what she was. You have no clue what you put her through. And if you say something smart about me and Pepper I'll punch you straight in the face, got that."

Tony's gaze fell on some spot on the wall behind Rhodey. He looked immersed in his thoughts. "She's…in love with me. Isn't she?" Tony's voice was not his own. He wanted to tell his friend that the feeling was starting to be extremely mutual.

"Completely." Rhodey conceded setting the last bloodied swab in the waste basket at his feet. "I don't even think she knows that, she's just as blind as you are."

Tony smiled sadly. Everything Rhodey had said had been true and Tony had known that the minute he walked down that plane at the airport on his arrival after his captivity.

Her beautiful blue eyes, red and puffy from crying. The shaking in her usually steady and soothing voice. It didn't take a genius to have known the damage his absence had done to her.

"She's reliving it all over again." Tony blurted out his expression strangely angry.

"Yep. Exactly. These constant missions, you leaving for days with nothing but Jarvis informing her of your vitals to tell her you're still alive, she's driving herself crazy with worry for you."

"I need to talk to her. Pass me a clean shirt." Tony started to sit up and cried out in pain when a sharp stabbing overcame him with agony. Stupid ribs, he thought.

"You're not going anywhere, Tony." Rhodey helped his friend to slowly sit up. "Right now you need to rest."

"I need to find her Rhodey." Tony's demand sounded more like a plea then anything else.

"Look she'll be in tomorrow bright and early just let her cool down."

Tony's mind was buzzing. He needed to find Pepper to apologize for being such an ass for being an idiot and not understanding how she felt. He wanted to tell her how much he needed her and not just as his PA, but as his friend and as someone he cared immensely about. He needed her to understand that he understood what was happening between them. He wanted to make her understand that his new found attention towards her was not his want for female companionship or just a fling, this felt like something real.

Something clicked in his brain.

"Jarvis where's is Miss Potts."

Rhodey eyed his friend oddly.

"Miss Potts is currently just up the street." The A.I's voice filled the room, his answer was very neutral. Tony's reaction contorted into one of panic.

"Why is she down the street?" Rhodey voiced the questioned the floated across Tony's mind.

"I don't know but we need to find out."

Tony jumped off the table, the wave of pain made him slump slightly but he ignored the throbbing pain that stabbed at his side. He didn't care about his physical pain, his heart hammered hard against his reactor that he almost cried out in pain. God help him if anything happened to Pepper he would never be able to live with himself again.

He needed to find her.

He needed to tell her. Everything.

'_Hold on Pep, I'm coming.'_

To be continued…


End file.
